High School DxD & Miniskirt Space Pirates First Impressions: Demonic Students and Space Yachts Galore

One of my biggest complaints with the slew of new anime series has been the lack of relatable characters. From Symphogear to Lagrange, no series has been able to grip me for just this reason. However, I think Highschool DxD has finally circumvented that issue with a story that should speak to everyone. If nobody else feels even a twinge of familiarity watching the events of this episode, I’ll be shocked, appalled, even flabbergasted.

To all my male readers, Highschool DxD should hearken back to your very own awkward days of high school. I think we all remember sitting back with our incredibly generic looking friends, loudly lamenting how little we’ve fondled breasts in our lives, much to the disgust of passersby. Then came that day where we were propositioned for a date by a girl that we haven’t even met, going through the dating motions before being impaled in the gut by a rather large spear in what I’m sure was some Freudian metaphor for setting such low standards that we’d let a murderer approach and kill us if it meant ending the lonely existence of being single. Then being run through by a different spear, this time more javelin-like, followed by waking up naked next to a bare-chested demon.

Okay, so maybe this show isn’t relatable in the slightest to anybody but m- I mean anybody at all. But I think when you go into a series with a premise as downright absurd as this (Detestable male lead is killed and brought back as a demon’s servant), you don’t expect anything to resonate with you on an emotional level beyond “Holy shit, tits!” which is apparently now a valid emotion.

Holy shtits!

As for my thoughts on the first episode, I thought it was alright. There’s nothing much to say about it past that, since originality is to this what Rob Halford is to heterosexuality– completely estranged. It’s not good in the traditional sense in the word, but I do applaud it for knowing exactly what it is: A shameless fanservice show with absolutely no redeeming factors past slight self awareness. And nipples, though those are debatably redeeming.

Miniskirt Space Pirates

Miniskirt Space Pirates, which sounds so much better translated into English than in its slightly bulky original Japanese, and the equally clumsy Bodacious Space Pirates, is a kooky little charmer that manages to entertain while still exercising some restraint. It’s very clear that it’s saving its best cards for later, since the build-up didn’t really lead to much of anything in this episode, beyond our lead knowing that she’s the daughter of a supposedly famous pirate. Nothing is particularly great, but there is potential for this to be one of the most thrilling adventure series of the season. Here’s a checklist of cool things that appeared in the first episode alone to back up that claim:

Space Yachts

Check.

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Inexplicable mugs of wine

Check.

—–

Terrible OP that somehow gets more tolerable the more you listen

Check.

—–

There’s also a ukulele or a similar stringed instrument on the equivalent of the Jolly Roger flag, but none of the screenshots made it without significant pixilation. I assure you though, it’s the coolest thing right after all of these.

If these reasons don’t convince you that Miniskirt Space Pirates will be one of the best shows of the year, a claim that I’m going to stand by no matter how much this show will undoubtedly try to prove me wrong, you really have no idea what’s cool. So stop nerding up this entry with your eyes, nerd.

I think people have been unfairly dismissing this seasons anime before even watching them.

While there aren’t any ‘massive’ shows or particularly challenging ones, there appear to be enough entertaining anime series out there. If you dont enjoy ecchi anime thats fine, but there are a lot of series this season that have potential in one way or another. At least I have enjoyed the majority of the series so far in one way or another.

Mouretsu Pirates is no exception, its a silly series, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a tongue-in-cheek attitude throughout.